


Pyrrhic Victory

by Nott



Category: Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Brotherly Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-07-23 13:56:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7465971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nott/pseuds/Nott
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for a prompt on http://norsekink.livejournal.com</p><p>Something really nasty is waiting to ambush Thor's party during an adventure. It's Loki left to battle it, and it's a spectacularly violent battle. Loki is, finally, accepted as a hero alongside Thor, Sif and the Warriors 3.<br/>But Loki isn't just physically scarred.</p><p>Prompt: http://norsekink.livejournal.com/12950.html?thread=32190358#t32190358</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Venom

Finally, the glimmer grew into a flame. Loki stopped blowing on the burning tinder and quickly added small branches and twigs to feed the fire. Thor and the others would be glad about a warming fire when they returned from hunting and hopefully they would also bring back some game to roast.  
Loki had just added the first larger logs to the fire, when he heard noise approaching. Warily, he unsheathed his sword and scanned the area around their camp. The corner of his eye caught a sudden movement to his right and the knife in his hand only remained there when in the last second he recognised Fandral. He sheathed the sword, but kept the knife at hand. Fandral was panting and almost stepped into the fire.  
"What happened? Where are the others?" asked Loki. Fandral lifted an arm and gestured into the direction he had come from. Seconds later, Sif and Volstagg broke through the bushes, carrying Thor between them, with Hogun guarding the rear.  
"What happened?!" Loki repeated, a lot louder.  
"A lindworm," Sif replied curtly.  
"It surprised us when we were hunting," elaborated Fandral. "Thor was closest to it and was bitten. We were able to fend it off, but his knees gave way shortly after."  
"Well, yes of course! A lindworm's bite is poisonous!" Loki stared at Fandral in disbelief. "Everyone knows that!"  
"You can lecture us later," Sif interupted, letting Thor down next to the fire, "Now make sure he doesn't die!"  
Loki knelt down next to his brother. Thor was not conscious, but it didn't take long to identify the bite. Blood and slimy drool came oozing from the wound. Loki had to act fast.  
"Get a blanket!" he shouted at the others. "Cover him, so he's warm!" He hurriedly removed the clothing from Thor's arm, where the wretched creature had sunk its teeth and the content of its poison gland. It would be hard. But there was no other way of saving Thor now. If he didn't succeed, Thor would bleed to death.  
"Put his feet up," he said to the others, much calmer now. Then he touched the wound with his hand and closed his eyes. He was still only a student of the vast knowledge of magic and while he had cured the occasional injury during their adventures, he was not prepared for a poison like this. He knew the theory of how to deal with such illness, but he had never practised it. He took a deep breath and called forth the thaumaturgic energy inside him, gathering it in the centre of his being. He concentrated on the poison. Neutralise it. He channelled the energy and felt the magic flow out of his hand into Thor's body. He was not sure when to stop, better give more than too little, but when he heard Thor calling his name, he drained the flow of magic and looked down into his brother's eyes.  
"He's still wounded," complained Volstagg. "I thought you healed him."  
Loki wiped the blood and spit from his hand.  
"I did. I neutralised the poison. At least most of it."  
"I feel much better, brother," said Thor, "But maybe you could close the wound as well? Then I could resume the hunting with our friends."  
Loki contemplated this.  
"I don't think I can. It took almost all of my magic to fight the poison. It will not be enough to close a wound as big."  
"Some healer you are," muttered Sif. "Worry not, Thor, we will bring back the head of this overgrown snake!" She banged her spear against her shield.  
"A lindworm is dangerous," warned Loki, "I will not be able to cure any more bites."  
"Let's go," said Fandral. "What do you think, Hogun? Will a lindworm make a fine dinner?"  
Without further discussion, they left.

Loki sat down by the fire and searched his provisions for the remedies and medical supplies he always carried when out on adventures. The others also braught bandages and sometimes disinfectant or pain reliever, but they did know little about healing and less about magic, so Loki had taken it on himself to learn these particular arts. He was more gifted with illusions, but closing minor wounds was not hard and it brought a nod of appreciation and words of thanks every once in a while. He found the ointment he knew he had packed and spread it on Thor's arm with swift fingers.  
"This will help still the bleeding and ease the pain. The lindworm's bite is most dangerous in preventing blood from clotting, but it will also make pain feel much more severe and reduce blood pressure, so it's not unusual to faint."  
"There's no pain I cannot endure, brother," said Thor boastfully, "You can keep the witchcraft to yourself."  
"If it wasn't for my _witchcraft_ , you would be dead by now," Loki said pointedly. "A lindworm's poison often kills a prey that deemed itself escaped to safety. An easy meal for the monster close on its heels."  
"Are you trying to scare me, brother? Don't be foolish. T'was a nuisance and I thank you for taking care of the poison. You truly have a hand with tinctures and bandages. But don't inflate your helpful deed in hope for glory."  
"So taking a life is more glorious than saving one?"  
"In honest battle, you always risk your life when taking another. It's not the same for healers."  
"You know nothing, Thor!" Loki was getting angry. Not only did he belittle the achievment Loki was sincerely proud of, he spoke as ignorant as a blind man would of colour. "A skilled mage can use life force to work magic - it is indeed very dangerous and it requires far more skill than swinging a hammer!"  
"Don't be jealous, Loki." Thor's hand reached up and tousled his hair. "It's not like your talents are useless."  
"Why, thank you, brother," Loki replied sarcastically. "Shall I think twice about applying your bandage?"  
Thor grinned.  
"I'd rather you didn't. Come on, Loki, you know we're always glad you're with us."  
"I can't always tell." Loki unrolled the linen bandage. "With the disappointment over my skills as a healer and the mockery of my magic abilities, it's hard to see the praise."  
"Well, this way we don't have to argue who should stay in camp or bring the medical equipment."  
"As if you knew how to use it."  
"I'm so blessed with my smart-arse little brother."  
"Wouldn't hurt you to learn some of it too, you know." Loki wrapped the bandage around Thor's arm injury and secured it with a bronze fibula.  
"I prefer to learn how to fend off attacks so I won't need any healing."  
"Oh come on, nobody is that good!"  
Thor laughed good-naturedly, but a second later his pupils widened.  
"Watch out!" he yelled and gave Loki a shove so hard, the younger one tumbled several feet away. When Loki recovered, a rush of fear froze him to the spot. The lindworm had followed its prey and was claiming its meal!


	2. Knives

The next thing he knew, he threw himself between his brother and the creature, just in time to summon a shield to the lance of fire intended to make Thor easier to digest. At least it would take a while before the lindworm could throw another breath of fire at them. While Loki tried to remember if it took 5 minutes or 15 minutes for a lindworm to refuel its fire, he felt his thaumaturgic energy rapidly running out until the shield vanished and he stood face to face to a live lindworm, with only his knives, armour, and wit to protect him from scorching fire, deadly venom, and bone-crushing teeth. He gulped. Where were the thrice-damned Warriors Three and Lady Sif when they were needed? He drew one of his throwing knives. The sword wouldn't be of much use - the skin of a lindworm was nigh impenetrable and he could not reach the less armoured parts of the body, like the eyes or the oral lining. The lindworm paid Loki no mind and went straight on to Thor, drivel running from its mouth in anticipation.

"Run, Loki!" yelled Thor, calling Mjölnir into his hand. He lifted his hammer about an ell into the air before his arm fell flat to the ground, his face a grimace of pain and fear. "Run!" he yelled again. But Loki waited, aimed and threw. He missed the eye by a finger's breadth, but the lindworm turned its head to see what would be so bold to interrupt its meal. Loki promptly threw the next knife and hardly escaped the breath of fire sent his way.  
"Loki! Run away!" he heard Thor's voice, but Loki did not intend to run. The lindworm would never pursue him, just return to Thor. And devour him. Loki didn't even want to think about that. He suppressed the horrifying imagery and readied his last two knives. There were more knives in his bag by the fire, but he figured it would be too much of a risk to try to get to them. The lindworm might end up trampling on Thor. No, he needed to finish this quickly. After a brief glance at his brother, he started running towards the beast. One of his knives flew ahead of him and wounded the soft flesh of the lindworm's teethridge. He stared up, right into the giant mouth of the creature, all too aware of the slimy drool, the large teeth and the poison ducts right behind them. All his senses told him to turn on the spot and flee. But he could never abandon his brother. Not even when two rows of piercing teeth darted down to bite him. Loki evaded the beast a few times until he took his chance to jump right between the open jaws.

He heard Thor cry out after him while he struggled to stand up and get some sort of hold. The lindworm could not close its mouth with Loki inside and used its slippery tongue to try and shove him between its teeth, but Loki was nimble enough to stay away from them. It seemed like an impossible task, but despite the slithery footing and constant shift and movement, he finally got his last knife into a good position. He pushed it up into the palate with all his strength. The lindworm screeched and shook its head up and down in panic. Loki lost his footing, desperately clinging to the knife, but an exceptionally violent shake of the head flung him back to the pharynx, dangerously close to the gaping darkness of the oesophagus. And then the lindworm swallowed.


	3. Inside

The strong oesophageal muscles knocked the breath out of Loki's lungs, mercilessly pushing him down towards the creature's stomach. He desperately reached for his sheathed sword, but there was no moving inside the muscular tube. He was not strong enough. Any effort to get a hold and stop his fatal descent were in vain. The mucosa was just too slippery and his hands slid off the smooth, saliva-covered skin every time. While sliding down into waiting doom, Loki contemplated his options. It was quite possible to cut the stomach open and cause internal bleeding and organ failure, but doing so would mean certain death for him as well. The stomach walls were the only thing shielding him from the charring heat of the lindworm's fire organ. Even if he managed to cut through the thick scaly hide, his chances of making it out alive this way were slim at best. A lindworm's blood ran much hotter than the Aesir's, so he would be burned or boiled before he could even think of slitting the scales. He needed a plan that would work faster, too. Not only because of him - while it would take the creature several days to digest him, oxygen supply would probably be scarce. But he was more worried about Thor. Another venomous bite, and his fate was sealed. Loki forced himself to focus. What else did he know about lindworms?  
The tight embrace suddenly gave way to a free fall, ending in a splash of some frothy liquid, most likely gastric acid. Instantly, he was tumbled by the contractions of the crinkly ground. So he had finally reached the stomach. Great. It was damp, pitch black and the digestive juices irritated his skin. It was hot as Muspellsheim in here, the oxygen-deprived air leaving him less and less room to think. The rotten, sour smell wasn't helping. In horror, Loki realised he was rolling along the remains of some previous prey. He shuddered. 

A sudden impact knocked Loki to the other side of the stomach. That must have been Mjölnir, thrown by Thor's left hand. His brother was smart enough to aim for the whole lindworm with his left hand instead of a more ambitious target. Or maybe he aimed for the head and missed. Anyway, Mjölnir meant thing were getting tough out there. Loki gulped. They were both going to die here. Panic began to rise. _We are both going to die! Thor at least will be dead once he lands down here, while I will slowly be digested until I look like the lifeless limbs that are tumbling beside me. Will I see Valhalla? Does it count as a death in battle?_ Loki severely doubted that, even though it was the most gruesome, horrifying situation he had ever been in. Gladly he would face a thousand bersekers instead. Although, without his magic he would probably be just as dead. If only he could at least distract the lindworm with an illusion of himself or freeze its scalding blood. His strong skill was magic. Without it, what should he do? He heard Thor's voice shouting from outside, muffled by the monster's flesh. Did Thor think him already dead? No, Thor would expect him to be more resourceful than this. Loki wished he knew what to do. He deemed himself cunning, yes, but what good did it him in this acid-dripping cave, surrounded by boiling blood? Wherever he sunk his sword, he would burn himself severely and without the protective tissue, the heat of the fire organ would probably cook him alive. If he could make a small cut with little bleeding, that would probably be worth the risk, but it would accomplish just as little. Unless... Loki was suddenly wide awake again. What if he managed to pierce the lung? Judging from the anatomy of dragons in general, the stomach should be just above the lungs. If he did this right, the creature would be stopped by a collapsed lung and suffocate if he managed to collapse the other one as well. "Loki, you are brilliant!" he said to himself. But the plan was easier thought up than carried out. The constant movement of the stomach made it hard to find orientation and nigh impossible to make a cut as precise as he needed for his idea to work.


	4. Blood Magic

If he took his time and concentrated, maybe he could gather enough thaumaturgic energy to fuel a light for a short while. But time was the only thing he did not have. He needed to know where he was and where to stab before he passed out from oxygen deprivation. Losing consciousness meant certain death. Too far towards the pylorus and he would miss the lungs and pierce the intestines instead. He took a deep breath and instantly regretted it, spitting out digestive juice, hair and something he didn't want to spend time to identify. He tried to conjure a flame nevertheless. Nothing.

Father had said a master mage worked spells in the midst of battle, surrounded by enemy warriors. It was not quite like this, but close enough, thought Loki. But he was only a student, not a master, and the healing had completely drained his magic. Mother had never taught him how to use life force, telling him he had to find the way to use it himself. How should he figure out a complex task like this when his skin burned from acidic digestive juices, he was thrown to and fro by peristalsis, surrounded by corpses and suffering unbearable, suffocating heat?

His every instinct was on high alert, screaming that he was in mortal danger. It took great discipline and skill to ignore the shear fear for his life and go on to cast his spell, more discipline than he could ever muster. Mother always talked about the importance of keeping his mind on the magic, otherwise his power would flow out undirected and wasted. And he had nothing to waste in the first place. Over the loud beat of the lindworm's heart, he heard Thor's voice calling out again, and he was certain he was calling his name. Loki wanted to shout back an answer, reassuring Thor he was still alive. Wasting any breathable air would be foolish, though, and he was not keen on swallowing any more stomach contents. But he tried to concentrate again. Giving up meant giving up on Thor as well.

He had nothing left to work with, so life force was his only chance. He listened for the blood roaring through his veins, felt it rush from his heart to every little capillary in his limbs and organs. Suddenly, he didn't hear the lindsworm's heartbeat anymore, didn't feel the reeling or the acid, only the vivid circulation inside his own body. He was still very much alive and he'd be damned if he couldn't keep it that way! Loki screamed when his blood released thaumaturgic engergy. It was so painful, he lost focus almost instantly. If the ordeal had been worth it? He kept his eyes well shut to protect them from the acid and fumes. Would he even be able to see once he cast the light? Loki sighed. Only one way to find out. He called on his powers again, feeling his blood's magic concentrating in his body. It still felt as if all his blood vessels were burning. Thor shouted again, "LOKI! LOKI! LOKI!", urging Loki to finally cast the spell. He opened his eyes in time to see the brief flash of light - and wished he hadn't. What had been a vague idea of a previous prey's remains became a set of arms, a leg with a severed foot and a head, pale and lifeless, the face digested beyond recognition. He almost hurled. But in the light he had also seen a glimpse of the cardia, where the oesophagus entered the stomach.

He jumped towards where he presumed the cardia, not quite ready to unsheath his blade just yet. More voices joined in outside. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three must have returned. Loki hoped they were able to buy him some time - a collapsed lung wouldn't instantly kill the beast. Desperately trying to stay where he was, despite the constant movement, he feeled around for the opening of the oesophagus and the sphincter that sealed the stomach. He needed to get a hold, otherwise he would be thrown back into the body of the stomach, losing any sense of orientation for good. He breathed a sigh of relief when his hand found the slimy muscular ring that served as the gate to the outside world, keeping acids and other stomach contents, like himself, from pushing up. Fortunately, Loki's hand was small compared to the giant dimensions of the lindworm. The sphincter opened, raining a gush of spittle down on Loki. This was his chance! He grabbed the muscle and didn't let go, even when it squeezed shut so tightly it hurt. Now he finally had some idea of where he was. To pierce both lungs, he would need to stab through either side of the stomach. He unsheathed his sword with much more difficulty than he had expected. The blood magic surely had taken its toll on him. He was starting to feel drowsy, too. Damn! A little too hastily, he pushed into the darkness, almost losing the sword on impact with the sturdy stomach wall. He took a few heavy breaths before he tried again, this time carefully handling the blade to place the tip against the wall before he pushed it in to the hilt.

_To be continued..._


	5. Heat

Oily blood burned his swordhand immediately, running down his arms and making Loki cry out in pain. It took all the resolve he had, but he didn't let go of the sword. Outside, he heard his brother call his name, again and again. Had he heard the scream? Loki pulled the blade out with his burned hand, the metal quickly heating up from the scalding blood. He turned to sink the weapon into the other lung, when the lindworm made a screeching noise and stumbled, sending Loki crashing against the crinkly tissue of the gastric mucosa. It was getting hotter by the second, as more blood kept pouring in. Loki gasped for air, then he lost his grip on the sphincter and was thrown through the stomach as the monster collapsed. But it wasn't dead. Not yet.

The impact knocked all air from his lungs. Panting, he realised the lindworm had fallen. Loki crawled towards the source of the heat - at least he could make that out despite the pitch black darkness - his sword now in his unburned hand. Soon, there would be too much boiling blood to seal his fate for good. He kneeled down where he suspected to be over the other lung, clasped the hilt with both hands and stabbed. Hot blood burned his good hand and knees. Loki let go of the haft and scrambled away, hoping the wheezing breath of the monster to be a good indication for his success. His lids grew heavier every minute. He wanted nothing more than to rest, just for a little while. It was a treacherous desire. The creature was still breathing, its heart still beating, but it lay on the ground and thus was a much easier target for his warrior friends outside. He accidentally crawled over the severed head and this time, he did hurl. And then the unthinkable happened - the breathing stopped.

Loki would have cheered and danced, had he not felt so weak. The heart beat faded and soon afterwards so did the peristalsis, leaving him free to make his way out to safety. All muscles were relaxed now, making it possible to crawl up the food pipe. The long neck lay on the ground, so he wouldn't have to climb the slimy oesophagus wall, at least. Everything hurt. The acid in his eyes, the severe burns, the vomit in his throat, his bloodstream and the suffocating heat. Loki felt as if he might pass out every second. Just rest. For a heartbeat or two. No! He gritted his teeth and forced himself to push his burned hands into the food pipe, the pain almost unbearable. The ascension was slow, much too slow for Loki's taste. He had to fight for every linje*. It seemed to take forever and Loki intently wished Thor and the others would slash the lindworm's throat and get him out, but it never happened. He felt like hours had passed when he finally reached the mouth. "Thor!" he wanted to shout, but out came nothing much more than a croak. "Thor." He clasped the enormous tongue and pulled himself up into the oral cavity. He needed to stand up and lift the jaws to get out, but he couldn't even push himself to lift his own torso. At least he could hear his friends talking outside.

"It wasn't us, Thor, Loki must have done something." That was Sif.

"We have to get him out of there!" There was panic in Thor's voice.

"But how? We cannot cut through the damn skin! It's too tough!" said Fandral. He sounded almost equally worried.

"We will have to climb down and get him." Hogun said what nobody wanted to hear. "He may already be-"

"I'll do it!" Thor cut in and Loki heard heavy steps coming towards him.

"But Thor! What about your arm? You won't be able to pull him up with you!" Sif's much lighter steps followed. "Besides, I am smaller than you. It should be easier for me to go down there."

"You have to bring him back, Sif! You have to!"

 _Someone open the cursed jaws already!_ thought Loki, producing another useless caw.

And then Thor did. Daylight streamed in, and he felt two strong arms, hugging him tightly, despite the slime, blood and likely his own vomit.

"Loki! Are you alive?!" Thor rumbled. "Is he alive?!"

Loki opened his eyes. They were burning with the acid and the sunlight. But he wanted to see his brother's face, even though he couldn't make out more than a pink blob. Thor kneeled beside him and Loki wasn't sure if it was just him halucinating, or did Thor really cry?

"You saved my life today!" he sobbed.

"Twice." Loki managed to correct him before he passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * linje = historical measure of length, 0.0218 mm


	6. Harm

The first thing seeping into his clouded consciousness was the pain. He felt as if the skin had been flayed from his arms and hands. There was a regular clinking that sounded familiar and a faint buzzing noise. Where was he? His eyes fluttered open. Above him, the warm orange glow of magic was enough to reveal that he was in the healing chambers. Every clink announced a beat of his heart and his vital signs were visualised in an orange cloud over the bed, as he would expect. But why was everything so blurred?!  
"Loki! You're awake!"  
He sensed a movement on his right and Thor restrained himself at the last moment and did not hug him in his bone-crushing manner but very gently took him by the shoulders instead and kissed him on the lips, as he had done many times before. Even with Thor's face up close, everything was a blur.  
"I... I can't see." stammered Loki.  
"Don't fret, brother," Thor said, much too cheerfully for Loki's taste, "The healers said there was acid in your eyes and attacked the front part. They put a spell on it to grow back, but it will take some time."  
Loki didn't say anything.  
"Come on, it's not so bad," Thor went on, still trying to cheer him up, "I can read to you if you want to or we can play something where you don't need perfect eyesight. Or I can set the pieces for you, if you trust me." He laughed good-naturedly.  
"Well, I will have to live through it. What about your arm? Is it still a nuisance?"  
"Oh, it took a few days, but it's all healed now."  
"A few days?"  
"Aye. We had to bring you back to Asgard after you fainted and the healers put you into a magical sleep. T's been about a fortnight since you slayed the dragon."  
"So what else is wrong with me?"  
" _Wrong_ with you? Nothing!"  
"Thor, I can't move my arms, I can't see properly and I feel like I should regret waking up in the first place."  
"Your arms and legs had to be put in a cast. You have suffered severe burns, but you will be good as new in no time, brother!"  
"Easy for you to say. Your arm is already healed."  
"Because I had the best of mages at my side! Please don't regret waking up, brother! I've been waiting by your side every day, so you would not be alone when you woke up. I am so proud of you! You are a hero, Loki!"  
"I'm what?"  
"A hero!"  
Even though Loki could not see clearly, he knew Thor was smiling with the radiance of a thousand suns.  
"I didn't do anything heroic."  
Thor laughed.  
"You jest, brother. You killed a dragon! All by yourself!"  
Right. There was a part of his life Loki had no qualms about forgetting it forever.  
"I just did what I had to. The lindworm would have killed you."  
"So you jumped into the mouth and killed it from the inside! What an idea! What valor! We couldn't get through the scales, but of course you knew that. Pretending to get eaten and then killing the beast from the inside. I like it!"  
Was that what they thought? He never planned to be eaten alive. It was by far the worst experience of his long life! The memories came all rushing back, and they were terrifying. If his original plan had worked out, he would never even seen the stomach. I would have stayed in the mouth and thrust a blade into the brain of the lindworm. The image of the half-digested severed head came up in his head and he decided to instantly change the subject.  
"How long will I be in the casts?"  
"I don't know. Until you are better, I guess?"  
"Excellent."

Loki had to admit, the time spent in the healing chambers was not entirely unpleasant. After he had woken up, Thor had sent word to their parents and both, mother and father had sat by his side, held his hand and praised his courage and magic skills. The Warriors Three and Lady Sif had come to visit a few days later, when he was feeling a little better, bringing a new set of throwing knives, a book on battle magic, a beautiful game of Hnefatafl**, and dried fruit in honey to "sweeten the long hours". Thor stayed with him as much as he could. He would go to melee practice and somesuch, but most of his waking hours he spend trying to cheer Loki up and get rid of any boredom. Thor did, in fact, read to him. At first, he tried to read the new book on battle magic, a source of much merriment whenever there were symbols in the text. And there were many symbols. At last, they had agreed to do something else, lest Loki die of laughter. They played games instead, and Thor told him everything that happened around the palace.  
"As soon as you can walk again, you will have to show yourself to the people of Asgard," said Thor, moving one of his red stones on the hnefatafl board.  
"Why?" asked Loki, pondering which one of his stones would be the best to take it out. To make play easier for Loki, Thor had painted stones in red and green, so they would be recognizable even with blurred vision.  
"Because they care for you! When word was sent out that you were severely injured, our subjects brought flowers to the palace and lit torches in your name. T'is a marvel to look upon from the balcony."  
Loki remained silent. Surely Thor was exaggerating to make him feel better.  
"The skalds are immortalising your deeds in song, brother!"  
"You jest, brother."  
"Why would you think so? Our people love you and worry for you! And that is why you must show them you are well, as soon as health allows."  
"Fine. If you will support me, I shall limp in haste to greet them."  
"With pleasure!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ** Hnefatafl, also known as The Viking Game, Viking Chess or The King's Table, is one of the oldest games in the world. It's similar to chess, but it's a game with two unequal sides: the defender has 12 soldiers and a king, while the attacker(s) have 24 soldiers. The game ends with either the king escaped to the edge of the board or caught by the enemy soldiers  
> http://www.toyzonkers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Hnefatafl-Tournament-Set1.jpg


	7. Crutch

As much as Loki enjoyed to hear that, there was a dark side to his sudden reputation. He woke up in the night screaming, back in the acidic cave of the lindworm's belly, slowly being digested. Or cooked alive in a drowning pool of lindworm blood. Or suffocating in the dark, damp, sweltering stomach. The dreams were so real, it took a while for him to realise he was safe in the healing chambers of Asgard. Thor usually wasn't there to witness it, since the healers chased him away for the night to get Loki some rest. But when Loki fell asleep during the day, there was always the risk of Thor noticing. Loki didn't want him to find out how much the only feat of valor he had accomplished still haunted him. Thor was a hero who had killed many vile creatures over the centuries. Such a warrior didn't have any nightmares. His brother wasn't scared of anything. For better or worse.

Despite his unrest, Loki was slowly getting better. The first thing to heal were his eyes, the Norns be praised! It was still unpractical to read a book without assistance, but he could finally see the details of his chamber, his vitals above his head, the faces of his visitors. The healers told him the burns were extraordinarily severe, even for dragon fire, and he had to spend at least another fortnight in the casts.  
"Can I speed up the healing with my own magic?" he asked.  
"No, it won't do you any good, my prince. Working magic takes its toll on the body and you need all your resources for healing. Give your body rest and energy and it will be restored in time."  
Loki looked disappointed, but didn't argue.  
"Speaking of rest - you seem to have trouble sleeping. Would you like a light sleeping potion to ease you into it?"  
Loki nodded. If the potion could suppress or at least alleviate the nightmares, it would be of great help indeed.  
"If you deem it beneficial to my recovery, I shall be happy to try it."

The sleeping potion helped a little and Loki felt some of his strength return to him. Were he not advised against it, he would have started to experiment with some of the battle magic from his new book. But alas, he was doomed to stay in bed and wait for his burned skin to regenerate. He felt pretty blue about it, but Thor wouldn't allow him to grumble for long.  
"It's not so bad, is it? You have time to ponder the next step in your new profession as a dragon slayer!"  
"Brother, please. I am very much looking forward to never fighting a dragon again."  
Thor laughed.  
"I shall be more careful the next time I chance upon a dragon."  
"So at least some good came from the incident."  
Thor smiled.  
"It also made you a name as a warrior, finally. But it should have been me protecting you," he added quietly, "I am your elder brother. If you had died because of my recklessness, I could have never forgiven myself."  
"Well, I didn't. I am still here for you to love and tease and play and fight."  
Thor leaned over and hugged Loki gently. Or, at least, gently for Thor. Loki had to grit his teeth from the pain, but he appreciated the effort.  
"And I will keep pulling you out of all the mess you rush into." he added with a smirk.  
"I take your word for it, brother."  
"That might be unwise. You know my fondness of twisting words."  
"And yet I know for a fact that I can trust you with my life."  
Loki relished the intimacy of the hug for a while, especially when Thor loosened the embrace to stroke the back of his head. Thor had comforted him this way many times when they were little. Whenever Loki cried, Thor would be there to hug and kiss him, stroking his hair until it was all better. As they grew up, problems became harder to solve by a hug and a kiss. Loki stopped crying, mostly, and so did moments like these.   
"You are so thin!" Thor complained suddenly, letting go of Loki to get a critical look at him.  
"You say that every time!" Loki protested, "I am not thin, you are just very broad."  
"But I swear you got thinner!" Thor caught one of Loki's arms and pinched it accusingly. "You will need to start practice with us right after you get out of bed."  
"You are aware that I will likely be unable to walk, even after the casts are removed? My legs were idle for a moon."  
"I certainly am. That's why walking will be part of your training, of course."  
Loki let out a frustrated groan.  
"This is so damn aggravating! I am already bored stiff, and now I have to endure another fortnight of doing nothing of merit. I could learn to master new kinds of magic right now, if only that would't slow down my recovery!"  
"Why?"  
"Because I can try to cast magic without my hands, as opposed to, you know, sword fighting?"  
"But why would you continue spending time learning that?" Thor frowned. "You demonstrated your prowess beyond all doubt. You don't need your crutch anymore."  
"Is that what you think?" Loki asked bitterly. Thor gave him a perplexed look. Clearly he had not anticipated this reaction.  
"Well, yes. I mean, using magic in battle is like cheating, right? Everybody always thought you needed magic and trickery in order to win a fight. Not me, of course. I know you are an excellent warrior. But you never seemed to think so yourself. I hoped after what happened you would be confident enough in your skills that you would not need magic anymore."  
"I see."  
"I'm glad." Thor smiled. "For a moment I was afraid I had displeased you."  
"Get out."  
"What?"  
"Get out!"  
"Why are you so upset all of a sudden?"  
"Perhaps because you insulted me?"  
"Insulted you?! I praised you! Why are you twisting my words into imagined slights?"  
"Imagined slights? You just said my magic was only a crutch!"  
"Is it not? You certainly don't need it to kill a dragon!"  
"Just leave, please."  
"Fine!"  
Thor stood up and angrily stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.


	8. Fate

When his ire subsided, doubt beset Loki. Maybe Thor was right and his learning magic was indeed nothing more than a crutch. The gift of magic came easy to him. Study and practice yielded fast and impressive results, as opposed to mêlée combat training. He was a passable swordsman, making up with dexterity and technique what he lacked in strength. But he was not exceptionally good at it. And since he preferred to tilt the odds of any fight decidedly in his favour, be it by the element of surprise, shameless manipulation, or using the surroundings to his advantage, he was known for his trickery in the training arena. A blinding ray of sunlight, a simple distraction, some taunting remarks to enrage his opponent - he used it all to gain an edge in his fights. And people usually didn't like it, claiming they would have won if Loki had fought fairly. Magic made it even easier to win, but it was also much more frowned upon. Loki usually didn't use it in the training grounds for that reason, but in a real fight, his gift was an invaluable asset. How many times would he or his companions have been wounded or even dead were it not for the little tricks his mother taught him? A veil of smoke, a summoned shield, a distracting illusion. It was an easy way for him to improve his chances in battle, much easier than the time and effort he would have to put in to improve as much with simple mêlée. It was a crutch, in a way. But it was also much more than that. It was a part of him.

That night, Frigga called on him. Standing at the edge of his bed, tall and fierce in her white flowing gown, Loki felt so safe and protected by her mere presence. As if she could crush any enemy that would harm her child with the flick of a hand. She sat down by his side.

"What is it that troubles you, my love?" she asked softly. "The healers tell me you do not sleep well. Are you in pain? Of the body or the mind?"

Loki averted his eyes. It was hard to lie to his mother and he wondered if he should even try.

"What if it was my fate to die fighting the lindworm," he finally said in a quiet voice.

"If it were your fate, you would not be here now." Frigga looked at him with concern. "None of us can escape our destiny determined at the Well of Urðr. Did you feel the pull of fate that day?"

"I don't know. What does it feel like?"

"I did not teach you second sight, but you are skilled in magic. Thus, you may have visions of your fate before it comes to pass. Did you have dreams of a lindworm, of dragons or snakes before it happend?"

"No. But now, after it happended, I dream only about fighting the lindworm. In those dreams... I die. Every time. It seems to me as if I was meant to die."

Frigga frowned.

"Don't say that, my love. You were not fated to die. What you see may be variations of what happened, different outcomes that did not come true. Not everything is predestined by the norns. Sometimes, you stand at a crossroad and they will cut the threads you did not choose."

"So there were none but one path that would have me live?"

"That would be very unlikely. Countless choices yield as many threads. Your choice was to be a hero and save your brother. Don't fret about what could have been."

"I used blood magic to escape. Had I not succeeded using it, Thor and I would quite certainly both be dead. You should have shown me how it is done before I came to need it."

Frigga smiled at him sadly.

"It is one of the things that are nigh impossible to teach. Your body will only allow blood magic when you are in peril to life. I was confident that you would figure it out if you needed it. And it seems I was right."

She kissed him on the forehead.

"You are truly gifted, Loki. I am proud to call you my son."

"Thor said magic is a crutch to me" Loki said quietly. "He may be right."

"Don't belittle your gift, my love." Frigga stroked Loki's smooth hair. "Your brother doesn't mean to hurt you. It is hard for him to comprehend how much magic comes to be a part of who we are. He cannot experience what you and I experience when we wield the powers of magic. It's easier for him when you do the same things together. He cannot follow you on your path. He is your elder brother and he wants to protect you, but he cannot protect you from magic gone awry. Don't be cross with him for unreflected words."

"So he wants me to remain in the shade of his glory forever? I will never be as good as him in the things we do together."

"That selfish wish may well be there. But we all have selfish, foolish wishes deep down, do we not? Do you not wish to see your brother fail, for once, if only for short-lived and cheap gratification?"

Loki looked away. His tricks had often aimed to make a fool of Thor, but he had not expected their mother to notice.

"So what you mean to tell me is that everyone is petty and selfish and I shouldn't resent them for that."

"No, my love. I mean to tell you that we can all be fools sometimes. Your brother loves you very much. Do not resent him for ignorance."

"Do you tell him the same thing, I wonder."

"You are not ignorant, Loki."

Loki could not help but smile.

"No. No I'm not."


End file.
